asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that married women who withdraw from employment for family reasons are automatically refused unemployment benefit when they are unable to return to work; and if he has any figures to show the number of married women who have been refused their applications for unemployment benefit from September 1977 to September 1978.

Claims for unemployment benefit are not decided automatically. Each claim is decided on its merits by a statutorily appointed deciding officer in the light of the relevant conditions for entitlement and of the particular facts and circumstances pertaining to the case.

A claimant for unemployment benefit is required to show that he or she satisfies the statutory condition of being available for employment. A person who withdrew from employment for family reasons and who is unable to return to work because of those reasons would be unlikely to satisfy this condition.

No statistics are kept of the number of persons whose claims for unemployment benefit are unsuccessful.

This is causing a problem all over the country at the moment. Could the Minister advise me as to what advice I could give to someone who has signed on for unemployment benefit, who is available for work and who has letters to state that she is not suitable for the employment to which the National Manpower Service have sent her, and will still not be given unemployment benefit?

If a person is available for employment and is making an effort to procure employment then there is absolutely no reason why they should not get the credit.

In this case the conditions are satisfied but she has been told in the local exchange not to bother to sign for the benefit.

If the Deputy gives me the details and if what the Deputy says is correct I will make sure she gets the unemployment benefit.

I have written to the Secretary of the Department about it.

Would the Minister accept that at the moment there is discrimination against married women claimants for unemployment benefit?

No, I do not accept that.

I would point out that in practice it is an accepted fact by many investigating officers that because a woman has a family she is not available for work.

A question, Deputy.

As the Deputy knows we have thrashed this out time and again.

At this very moment women are suffering.

I can only agree that there is no policy of discrimination against married women. There is nothing in my Department, administration or in our rules or regulations which can be capable of being taken as discriminating against married women.

Question No. 67.